Ross Gay

“The madness of spring is so enticing. I love it when things are opening up and emerging from the ground. I also love the middle of summer when fruit is bursting forth, but I even love the garden in the winter when everything is resting.”

“Part of the delight of my garden is that you just get lost in it before you've even started to do anything.”

“I walk out to my backyard garden at certain times of the year, and I can't get 30 feet without stopping for 20 minutes because the goumis need trimming.”

“'Beloved' by Toni Morrison. I think I read it first in college and have read it every few years since. The language itself is remarkable. I don't know that I've read a book that explains America so well.”

“I think it's crucial that we remember the lives of people, not their deaths. Our deaths are not our lives.”

“I have my own orchard, and I also work with the Bloomington Community Orchard, which has been one of the best experiences of my life.”

“I started reading seriously after I was in college. I read comic books. I read every 'Power Man' and 'Iron Fist' that ever came out. I had a teacher introduce me to poetry, and that kind of woke me up.”

“There's something about beautiful moments in sports that alters our experience of time. And I'd say the same thing about poetry and gardening. Gardening slows me down. I want to stop and observe everything.”

“'Beloved' is a book that makes me cry.”